The African Report on Child Wellbeing series is a pan-African project initiated to promote state accountability to children and mobilise legal, policy and administrative actions towards progressive realisation of the ideals and principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). The Report regularly assesses the extent to which African governments are living up to their commitments to children and provide critical analyses of strengths and weaknesses of national efforts made to put in place child-sensitive laws and policies and effectively implement them.

The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) launched the African Child Information Hub (InfoHub) in November 2006. The main objective of the InfoHub is to create a forum to facilitate the exchange of information, ideas and experiences on matters relating to children. The InfoHub features a database of child-focused organizations , Data and Statistics on indicators of the wellbeing of children in Africa, the African Child E-Newsletter, News , an events calendar, reports, documents and research publications on the state of children.

The International Policy Conference on the African Child (IPC) is a major biennial event aimed at promoting policy dialogue on the rights and wellbeing of children in Africa. Since 2004, there have been six IPCs bringing together political leaders, leading thinkers, policy makers, activists and experts from governments, civil society, academia and international non-governmental organisations from within and outside Africa. It has within a relatively short period of time become a high-powered event, and the premier forum on children’s issues in Africa.

The Larissa Award draws attention to, documents and rewards good practice models in advancing the cause of children in Africa and encourages their replication. The specific purpose of the Larissa Award is to give recognition and encouragement to exemplary initiatives that made Africa a better place for its children. The Award seeks to project a positive image of a continent that is often portrayed only as one of doom and gloom. The Award covers a broad range of areas such as health care, education, nutrition, disability, and care for orphans.

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STOLEN FUTURES: The impact of corruption on children in Africa - New report captures the plight of African children affected by graft

18 March 2019

March 2019, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Corruption in Africa is robbing children of their right to a meaningful productive life, a new study shows. The study captures the sentiments of 33,000 children from around the continent, who expressed fear that the rising corruption is severely affecting their access to education and health. It cites informal payments in the form of outright bribes, gratitude payments or off-the-books fees, as one of the biggest forms of corruption affecting service provision for children in the education and health sectors.

The report titled “STOLEN FUTURES: The impact of corruption on children in Africa” looks at some of the corrupt behaviors of service providers in the health and education sectors that directly impact children and their families including teacher/health worker absenteeism and the practice of charging informal fees for supposedly free services. These are seen as the cause of provision of fewer services for children and increase the propensity for public sector workers to be less productive and provide poor quality services. The study, which the first of its kind, was conceptualized in response to the declaration of 2018 as the African Anti-Corruption Year on the theme “Wining the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation.” The report will be launched on Tuesday, 19th March 2019 at the African Union Headquarters, in Addis Ababa.

You can read the complete press release here and also download the full report from here.

Grassroots Voices Hold the Key to Fighting Gender Oppression

By Graça Machel Friday, 8 March 2019

You can read the article on THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION's website here.

The Namibian issued an article on 12 February 2019 with the headline “Nam Ranks 7th in Child-Friendliness” in connection with the five-day continental child protection conference being held in Windhoek this week. The Conference brought together child protection officials from 27 African countries. At the event, Ms Wilhencia Uiras, Executive Director, Gender Equality and Child Welfare of Namibia talked about the CFI and ACPF.

The African Report on Child Wellbeing 2018 and the Child-Friendliness Index Revisited reports are available at www.africanchild.report

Invest in Africa's youth or miss out on 21st-century development Graça Machel's interview with BBC World Service

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"toxic combination” of undernutrition, poor education and the world’s fastest-growing youth populations pose a threat to the continent’s futureThe Guardian's feature on The African Report on Child Wellbeing 2018

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"Africa Takes A Tough Look At Africa — And The Way It Treats Its ChildrenWJCT article

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Africa’s future is predicated on how we nurture our children. We need an Africa that is child-friendly, policies and laws that advance and protect the wellbeing of all its children, and the political will to make them happen.Mrs. Graça Machel Chairperson, International Board of Trustees, ACPF

Effectiveness of social protection programmes linked to state accountability, says ACPF

African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) was invited to take part in a two-day invitation-based conference organised by the University of Bath from 2-3 July 2018 with a theme “Transnational transformations in social protection: concepts, instruments and contexts”. The Conference aims to showcase the research initiatives and further develop them by reaching out to key international and UK-based stakeholders with policy and research interests in social protection. It offered a platform for critical reflection of the idea of social protection as it has developed over the last 2 decades in national and international policy discourses.

ACPF was represented by Mr Yehualashet Mekonen, Programme Manager of the African Child Observatory, who made a presentation on social protection and accountability. The presentation showed the linkage between investment in social protection and performance in overall governance. It argues that effective social protection is a litmus paper of accountable-governance in view of the priority given to vulnerable groups and commitment to address deprivations as well as functional coordination of various implementing agencies to achieve better results for the disadvantaged including children.

We’re often told that actions speak louder than words, and it’s true we won’t change lives by simply talking about the problems. But I also think that you can’t make a real impact unless you’ve thoroughly debated and agreed what needs to be done. Words first, then actions.

I was reminded of this at the Continental Conference on Access to Justice for Children, held recently in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. More than two hundred child rights experts, politicians, lawyers and civil society activists came together to try and find a way forward for the thousands of children across Africa who are denied access to justice. It’s easy for the cynics to dismiss such conferences as talking shops - fine words and discussions, but little in the way of concrete action. And if we had simply presented and debated the issues, there could have been some truth in that.

The Agenda 2030 for Children: Solutions Summit was organised jointly by the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children and the Government of Sweden in Stockholm, Sweden, on 14-15 February 2018. The Summit brought together governments, CSOs, the Private Sector, the media and children from more than 55 countries.

Launch of The African Report on Child Wellbeing 2018

Children in Africa struggle to get justice. Here’s how to improve their access

Julia Sloth-Nielsen, Professor, Department of Public Law and Jurisprudence, University of the Western Cape and Professor of Children's Rights in the Developing World, University of Leiden, University of the Western Cape

Implementing the Framework for Strengthening Child Protection Systems in the EAC: National Learning Workshops

2017 ISCI Global Impact Award

A CALL TO ACTION TO LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND

An open letter in support of a 2019 Rights of the Child resolution on children without parental care

KidsRights Changemakers Movement

KidsRights recently launched The KidsRights Changemakers Movement: a global movement of young changemakers who together create a world in which children’s rights are guaranteed. KidsRights is looking for young changemakers between the age of 12 and 24 that have an idea or plan to move the world and love to receive some support to enhance their impact.

Africa, Politics and Children:Thoughts of an ‘Angry’ African Remarks made by Assefa Bequele (PhD) at the Opening Session of the 2nd CSO forum on ACRWCNovember 2009Download Transcript

Speech by H.E. Advocate Bience Philomina Gawanas at the Tribute evening organised for Dr Assefa Bequele in July 2010, as he handed over the leadership of ACPF to his successor, Mr David MugaweWatch Video

Speech by Dr. Benyam Dawit Mezmur at the 5th International Policy Conference on the African Child Intercountry AdoptionMay 2012watch Video

Opening speech on the event of ACPF's 10 year anniversary and launch of the African Report on Child Wellbeing November 2013

Keynote speech at the Post 2015 High Level Dialogue organised by ACPFJuly 2013

Opening Speech at the 5th International Policy Conference on the African ChildIntercountry AdoptionMay 2012

Opening Speech at the 5th International Policy Conference on the African ChildIntercountry AdoptionMay 2012

Opening speech at the Child Rights at a Cross-roads: Global Conference on Research and Child Rights ProceedingsDecember 2009

Opening speech at the the 2nd International Policy Conference on the African Child Violence Against GirlsMay 2006

For me, ACPF is one of only a handful of truly pan-African organizations that have the legitimacy to speak on behalf of children in Africa.Mr Stefan van der Swaluw, Manager Programmes and Institutional Funding, SOS Children;s Village, Netherlands

ACPF is not just about mere policy formulation and rhetoric, it is a Forum whose aim is to realize tangible results which will change for the better the plight of some of the children on the African ContinentMs Gertrude Lynn Hiwa, SC
Law Commissioner, Malawi Law Commission

ACPF to me is about passion. A passion for African children and passionate about making a difference. Ms Krista Kruft, Head Regional Resource Mobilisation, Plan International Regional Eastern and Southern Africa Office(RESA)(2009-2012)

ACPF has kept abreast of the evolving needs of the African child; most importantly they have done this while adopting a child’s rights approachAmbassador Dr Moushira Khattab, Former Minister of Family and Population, Egypt

In its unique position as pan African organisation, ACPF has been successfully been able to bring multiple players- governments, civil society as well as international organisations into dialogue with each other to influence policy and discourse. Ms Enakshi Ganguly Thukral, Co-Director, HAQ Centre for Child Rights

ACPF has impacted positively on the African Child by giving direction to all stakeholders through its in-depth analysis and reliable data on the plights of children and means of mitigating such problems.Mr Moses Adedeji
Founder & Executive Director of Children's Rights Network (CHRINET), Nigeria

The ACPF has helped us a local NGO to advocate and pressure our government to implement both article 4 of the CRC and article 1 of the ACRWC to ensure its full compliance to the provisions in both the CRC and the ACRWC to which it is a State party.Ms Judith M.A Mulenga, Executive director, Zambia Civic Education Association(ZCEA)

ACPF is a rare gift to African governments who have all committed themselves to protecting and safeguarding the rights and welfare of the African child through the signing and ratification of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. I urge them to make use of this gift!Mr Sylvester Uhaa, Executive Director, Citizen United for the Rehabilitation of Errants(CURE)

ACPF fulfills an essential role, in Africa and beyond, in raising awareness of the conditions of children throughout the continent and in initiating
Mr Hans van Loon, Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law Until June 2013

ACPF has developed key analytic reports on child wellbeing in the region as well as strong monitoring tools for children’s rights and wellbeing for the continent and this makes them a critical partner for any child rights organisation especially the Fund.Ms Moipone Buda-RamatloNelson Mandela Children's Fundblockquote>

Children’s Legal Protection Centres are an important means for narrowing the gap between law and practice, extending legal protection to children and ensuring that they have access to justice. The unique strength of these organisations lies in the fact that they have in-depth, grass-roots knowledge of the reality of children’s lives and of the working of the child protection structures that surround them. They also have the skills and ability needed to channel this intimate understanding of children’s lives into broader advocacy for legal reform and effective advocacy.

It is important for ACPF to double its effort and replicate such initiatives in other parts in Africa in order to redress the abuse and exploitation that children face daily at home, at school, and in the wider community almost everywhere in the world.

Internationally, children’s rights are so divided in terms of sectoral interventions. Everyone is a specialist – legal, educational, psychological, and somewhere we felt the child gets lost in the middle of all these specialisations. For us the child is a whole person... that is why we set up HAQ. We don’t want to be a specialist organisation we believe children have a right to be themselves... HAQ looks at children across sectors and issues and makes the cross-cutting connection between sectors and issues.

Children involved in the justice system are mostly victims of various psychosocial problems. The provision of a legal aid service alone cannot solve their multifaceted problems. These children in the justice system also need educational support, medical support, shelter, counseling, nutritional support, reunification with family, etc. These services are mostly required temporarily until the legal issue that affected their rights and interests are solved.

In the case of the CLPC, a lot of children that would have otherwise been exposed to secondary victimisation due to lack of psychosocial support are being provided with these services through a referral system that refers children in need of these services to institutions that are mandated to provide these services and are members of the referral network. This is quite an essential aspect of the work of the CLPC and it should be sustained for continuity purposes.